Best way to approach Freerolls?

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ThatGuyTim

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Hello guys, I’m sure this question has been answered before, but I’m wondering what are some quick tips that you guys would recommend when playing a Freeroll/ very micro stakes tournament?

I’ll also add an extra question- when you have 10 or so BB left and there are 3 people to the bubble- should you just fold until you’re in, etc?

Thank you in advance for the replies. Goodluck at the tables!
 
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whosdaboss25

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The question is are you looking to win or just make the money?
If your looking to just make the money? Then just fold your way into the money and play conservative play your way into the money. If your looking to win. Then Steal blinds and play aggresive and win pots and build your stack so you can win the tournament. The down side of play aggressive is you can hit down swings or get busted out by doing this but that is the down side of playing to win isn't it. There is always two sides of every coin same as just playing to get in the money yes you get into the money but your not going to get top prize pool money are you no. So you decide do you want better money or do you want just in the money money .
 
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wtpoker123

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More info on this please guys, in the same boat
 
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FrothyGoodness

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There is No Right or wrong way when it comes to freerolls if its just the daily Multiple freerolls most sites offer. You can take a conservative approach or you can move all the way through the Aggressive way. You're going to take punches either way you roll. Just depends on your overall style , if you're an overall super conservative player , you're going to have to deal with consistent bad beats/draws. You can sit and wait on Aces but rest assured you will get Donkjammed with 4.9 os. You just have to learn to breathe and just realize it's a different breed of poker being played. Don't get angry , there's always another.
 
WiredKs

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In general, a freeroll doesn't play like a tournament for about the first hour or so. Expect goofy hands to do goofy things because folks are looking to chip up quick or move on to something else. Because of this I would expect to have to show the best hand to win, so be more selective in where you mix it up early.

My advice, play quality hands in the early part and let the loose play around you build your stack. Don’t get discouraged or angry at the beats when you get them. It’s a freeroll and sometimes you get stuck with the all-in-with-any-two-cards guy. Go into it expecting high variance and try to stick with made hands, not draws.

After about an hour you can start playing poker more like usual because the players that are left either went into it more seriously or they hit lucky and chipped up to the point where now it’s worth playing.

Final thought: Even if you're really deep, remember you're playing against folks that didn't pony up anything to play and going bust has no impact on their bankroll at all. There can still be some loose wild play, even late. You're usually able to spot these folks and pick your spots against them though. Sometimes they're behind big stacks and can be a nice ATM if you can get and make some hands because those are the folks that will often pay you off when you make a hand. Don’t be as afraid to bet into them thinking you’ll scare them off and won’t get max value.

Good Luck,
 
Ragequit

Ragequit

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The scope of this question is too vast. There are many factors involved. I recommend you read the book 'Kill Everyone' as it's one of the finest MTT guides available. Then your approach to Freerolls and most MTT formats will be clear. Good luck. R
 
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ThatGuyTim

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The question is are you looking to win or just make the money?
If your looking to just make the money? Then just fold your way into the money and play conservative play your way into the money. If your looking to win. Then Steal blinds and play aggresive and win pots and build your stack so you can win the tournament. The down side of play aggressive is you can hit down swings or get busted out by doing this but that is the down side of playing to win isn't it. There is always two sides of every coin same as just playing to get in the money yes you get into the money but your not going to get top prize pool money are you no. So you decide do you want better money or do you want just in the money money .
I see what you’re saying. You make a valid point.

There is No Right or wrong way when it comes to freerolls if its just the daily Multiple freerolls most sites offer. You can take a conservative approach or you can move all the way through the Aggressive way. You're going to take punches either way you roll. Just depends on your overall style , if you're an overall super conservative player , you're going to have to deal with consistent bad beats/draws. You can sit and wait on Aces but rest assured you will get Donkjammed with 4.9 os. You just have to learn to breathe and just realize it's a different breed of poker being played. Don't get angry , there's always another.
Yeah I see a lot of decent hands being beat my those “Donkjammed” hands you’re referring to lol.

In general, a freeroll doesn't play like a tournament for about the first hour or so. Expect goofy hands to do goofy things because folks are looking to chip up quick or move on to something else. Because of this I would expect to have to show the best hand to win, so be more selective in where you mix it up early.

My advice, play quality hands in the early part and let the loose play around you build your stack. Don’t get discouraged or angry at the beats when you get them. It’s a freeroll and sometimes you get stuck with the all-in-with-any-two-cards guy. Go into it expecting high variance and try to stick with made hands, not draws.

After about an hour you can start playing poker more like usual because the players that are left either went into it more seriously or they hit lucky and chipped up to the point where now it’s worth playing.

Final thought: Even if you're really deep, remember you're playing against folks that didn't pony up anything to play and going bust has no impact on their bankroll at all. There can still be some loose wild play, even late. You're usually able to spot these folks and pick your spots against them though. Sometimes they're behind big stacks and can be a nice ATM if you can get and make some hands because those are the folks that will often pay you off when you make a hand. Don’t be as afraid to bet into them thinking you’ll scare them off and won’t get max value.

Good Luck,
Yeah as noted above a lot of goofy hands at the beginning no kidding. Thank you for the in-depth answer. Agree 100%.

The scope of this question is too vast. There are many factors involved. I recommend you read the book 'Kill Everyone' as it's one of the finest MTT guides available. Then your approach to Freerolls and most MTT formats will be clear. Good luck. R
Thank you for the book recommendation.

Overall thank you everyone for your reply so far!
 
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chronical

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as a a swamp u have to get through =)

on a serieous note. be more tight and less fancy play will ussualy get you there.
there are about 2 kinds of plyaers bad crazy and nits. adjust accordingly
 
pancho_1954

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in freerolls you will find all kinds of players, so patience should be present in your game, very few people play correctly in this type of tournaments, but in spite of that, you should try to read your opponents and you know how to make the right decisions, I also want to add that I agree with whosdaboss25, if your intention is only to stay in the money then in which you double or triple your stack then you only have to fold until you get to the money, otherwise you should just Take risks and apply the best you can to all your knowledge
 
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